Special thanks to the Southern Foodways Alliance by way of Tina Antolini for a great interview with myself, William Woys Weaver, Denzel Mitchell and Spike Gjerde on the fish pepper and bringing it back to life in the Chesapeake region. Chesapeake foodways are the oldest Southern cross-cultural cooking traditions, starting with Jamestown. I will soon be posting a piece on Frederick Douglass and the Great House Farm at Wye House plantation, to add some further context to this pepper. Its origins in slavery in the tobacco and grain plantations and ports of Maryland is key to the fish pepper’s story. For now, enjoy this oral history by the wonderful Tina Antolini.

WHRO Curate 757 Season 2, Ep. 7

The culinary arts are one of the most enjoyable art forms around because food can be enjoyed with all five senses. This week, as we explore art that reflects culture, we will talk with Williamsburg culinary historian and author Michael Twitty who has made it his mission to document African American food history. #Curate757